This invention relates generally to fishing equipment and more particularly concerns hooks used for fishing.
Hooks are presented to fish in a variety of ways. They may be dropped, suspended, vertically jigged, retrieved or trolled. In each of these methods, the fish hook tends to hang up in branches, grass, weeds, rocks, sticks and other underwater objects and debris. This generally decreases the angler""s fishing time and frequently results in the loss of the bait or lure being used. A variety of apparata have been devised to minimize hangups, such as weed guards and baits which protect or shield the tip of the hook from engagement with the underwater objects and debris. Such devices also reduce the possibility of properly hooking the fish. Apparata have also been devised which are attachable to the fishing line and will slide down the line to disengage a hook that is hung up. These apparata are also costly and time consuming.
It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a fish hook which can be used with its tip in an exposed or unobstructed condition in order to facilitate hooking the fish but oriented in a manner to prevent hanging up or snagging on underwater objects and debris. A further object of this invention is to provide a fish hook which assumes and maintains an inverted position in the water so as to minimize the possibility of hangups during retrieval. Another object of this invention is to provide a fish hook oriented and positioned to simulate the pectoral and abdominal fins of a fish. It is also an object of this invention to provide a fish hook that will undulate and move up, down, back and forth to simulate the natural movements of pectoral and abdominal fins of a fish.
In accordance with the invention, a hook having a shank with an eye at one end and a bent portion culminating in a point at the other end and having a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of water is combined with a buoyant body mounted on the hook and means connected to the hook which, in cooperation with the buoyant body, causes the point of the hook to float above the eye of the hook in the water in an orientation such that the open gap of the hook does not encounter or engage objects or debris in the water. Rather, the back of the gap of the hook is oriented to encounter such obstacles, thus preventing hang-ups.
In one embodiment, the cooperating means is a weight mounted on the hook or made integrally as part of the hook and located between the eye of the hook and the buoyant body so as to cause the eye to orient below the buoyant body when the hook is in the water. In the weighted embodiment, the center of gravity of the buoyant body is on the point side of the hook in relation to the center of gravity of the hook. The buoyant body may be a flexible sleeve which snugly slides on the shank and/or the curved portion of the hook. The external contour of the sleeve may simulate a live bait or a portion of a live bait.
In another embodiment, the cooperating means is a plug to which the eye is pivotally connected to provide a point about which the buoyant body will cause the hook to rotate and thus orient the tip of the hook above the eye when the hook is disposed in the water. In the plug embodiment, the buoyant body is preferably a sleeve mounted on the shank of the hook.